Book of Common Prayer

The Sabbath or rest of the Christian. The punishment of unbelievers. The nature of the word of God.

4 Let us fear, therefore, lest any of us, forsaking the promise of entering into his rest, should seem to come behind. ² For to us it has been declared as well as to them. But it did not profit them to hear the word, because they who heard it did not couple it with faith. ³ But we who have believed do enter into his rest, while contrariwise he said to the others: I have sworn in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.

And he spoke this long after the works were made and the foundation of the world laid. ⁴ For he spoke in a certain place about the seventh day this way: And God did rest on the seventh day from all his works. ⁵ And then again in this place: They shall not come into my rest. ⁶ We see therefore that it follows that some will enter into his rest, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter in due to unbelief. ⁷ Again, speaking in David, he appointed a certain present day after so long a time, saying as mentioned above, this day, if you hear his voice, be not hard-hearted.

⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day. ⁹ There remains therefore yet a rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For the person who has entered into his rest does cease from his own works, as God did from his.

¹¹ Let us exercise ourselves therefore to enter into that rest, lest anyone should fall into unbelief after the same example. ¹² For the word of God is alive and mighty in operation, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and enters through even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and judges the thoughts and intents of the heart; ¹³ neither is there any creature invisible in the sight of him. For all things are naked and bare to the eyes of him of whom we speak.

¹³ And the Jews’ Passover was near at hand. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and found sitting in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers. ¹⁵ And he made a scourge of small cords and drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and oxen, and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables, ¹⁶ and said to those who sold doves, Take these things away from here, and do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise! ¹⁷ And his disciples remembered that it was written: The zeal of your house has consumed me.

¹⁸ Then the Jews said to him, What sign can you show to us, seeing that you do these things? ¹⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will rear it up again.

²⁰ Then the Jews said, This temple was forty-six years in building, and will you rear it up in three days?

²¹ But he was speaking of the temple of his body. ²² As soon therefore as he was risen up again from death, his disciples remembered that he had said this. And they believed the scripture, and the words that Jesus had spoken.